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Saturday, 24 January 2015

Please, don’t feel at home!

Post for my dear Indian friends studying abroad!

However, this theory is also applicable and beneficial for students from any other country who is studying abroad.

With
growing inclination towards studying in Germany these days, the number of
Indian students in Germany has increased in short period. After arriving in Germany, students often try
to find friends who belong to the same country as theirs, and then same state,
better still from the same city! Many students arriving here consider
themselves fortunate to meet Indians, especially belonging to the same caste
and culture as theirs.

It is not difficult to find Indians here today,
as it was just few years back. Hence, one often begins the journey of studying in
Germany, by dwelling in the comfortable company of other Indians around. I
myself have been fortunate enough to find many Indians; at university, hostel, work
place, and practically everywhere, I walk these days!

However, I wish to bring to light, the
importance of being out of our comfort zones occasionally. Here, in Aachen
(North-west city in Germany), it is very much possible to make many Indian
friends, and cook daily with them, have dinner parties with them, study with
them in library, attend lectures with them, and have them as your neighbors. One
can roll and swim so deep in this comfort zone that, sometimes one might wonder
if he or she is in Germany or India. As good and pleasant this is, it is also
important to occasionally step out of our comfort zones and try to explore and
utilize the opportunity of meeting people from different lands and cultures.

It is not difficult to arrange dinner party
where all your guests come from different countries! They are equally eager and
polite. Attending international get-to-gathers and parties occasionally, even just
to watch people hailing from different nationalities is a good practice (and talking
to them will be a bonus ;) ) I took several opportunities to meet people
from different lands. The difference of routines and customs that I find, often
amaze me. The trail of thoughts and cultural values exchanged are one of the
memorable times of my stay in Germany. I am fortunate to live in a hostel,
where my neighbors come from Spain, Ukraine, Germany, Russia, India, etc. I
also occasionally attend the international evening gatherings in the city.
Living in a student city offers one, a chance to meet people not just from
Germany but also from other countries around the world.

Please do not misunderstand or misinterpret my
message here. I do not deny the emotional, motivational, cultural and all other
unique bonds that we share with people coming from same background as ours. It
definitely helps us to sail smoothly in foreign waters. Nevertheless, we must
still not forget that one of the main reasons we choose to study abroad, is to
get an international exposure. If we start comfortably dwelling in our Indian troops
without making an effort of occasionally looking beyond, does not serve the
purpose!

Just a note, from an Indian studying abroad :)

P.S. - Feel free to share your thoughts and
experiences on this topic as a comment to this post.